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Your Travel Management Program is Leakinghttps://sheptravel.com/travel-management-program-leakage/
https://sheptravel.com/travel-management-program-leakage/#respondTue, 30 Oct 2018 04:38:29 +0000https://sheptravel.com/?p=835"Leakage" from your travel management program negatively impacts your company’s control over travel costs, savings and supplier discounts, as well as your ability to ensure traveler safety and security. We dive into why this is such a common occurrence and what you can do about it.

Travel management leakage occurs when employees book their business travel on consumer websites, outside of a company’s designated travel management system. Business travel bookings made on consumer travel sites are essentially invisible to the company and/or travel management company (TMC) until the employee reports details of the itinerary to their travel manager or submits their expenses for reimbursement after the trip is completed. For companies seeking to control their travel spend and effectively manage duty of care responsibilities, this behavior is not merely frustrating—it can have serious financial consequences.

Managers struggling to promote their travel programs within their company should know that the problem of off-channel bookings is widespread. Many travelers routinely go outside of prescribed channels to arrange their business travel. According to a 2016 report by Phocuswright, “Travelers…book just about everywhere. Their company’s online booking tool is the top booking method used but only 35% of travelers used it for their business travel…booking methods run the gamut from hotel websites (34%), online travel agency (OTA) sites (33%), airline websites (31%) all the way to calling travel suppliers directly and buying on-premise (19% each).”

Research released in August 2018 by the Global Travel Business Association confirms this: “Out of policy bookings are still fairly common with 37 percent of hotel bookings and 15 percent of air bookings on average made outside of a TMC or online booking tool.” Other research has these estimates even higher; IDC claims that their study found 40-50% of hotels and 28% of air is booking “off-channel.” Understanding why business travel leakage happens and the potential impact it can have on a business can help suggest ways to effectively address it.

Why Booking Leakage Happens

Generally speaking, travelers do not book outside of their company’s travel booking tool because they’re looking for a way to get around set spending limits. As Phocuswright notes, “many travelers who book outside of their policy believe they are saving their company money by shopping for better deals.” (“The Business Traveler,” 2016) A report from the Expedia Affiliate Network focused on hotel booking leakage found that “68 percent of business traveler respondents booked more than half their corporate trips using non-approved consumer channels. Most did so in order to get better direct rates (47 percent), or to get better online travel agency rates (38 percent), or to book at a specific hotel property (36 percent).”

Rather than being driven by a motivation to get around cost controls, travelers who shun their prescribed booking tools tend to do so because they are limiting and difficult to use. A 2017 survey of managed travelers by Business Travel News revealed that travelers’ concerns with typical business travel management tools centered around “the lack of quality shopping and booking tools for business travel, the desire for more convenient travel choices, an easier expense process and a nagging desire for better work-life balance.”

In this era of readily available online travel booking options, employees are used to arranging their own leisure travel from a variety of sites, either booking directly with airlines and hotels or going through online travel agencies (OTAs). They tend to show a great deal of flexibility, booking through whatever channel gives them the best deal or the most advantageous option for that particular trip, rather than latching onto any single source. By contrast, managed travel plans tend to restrict users’ choices to select airlines or hotel properties. Corporate booking platforms are also notorious for not being user-friendly, which can serve as an additional deterrent for employees. In short, “[t]he demand for a better user experience, combined with the demand for more flexibility in the options they’re being offered, has led many travelers to abandon the properties and booking channels outlined by their company’s travel policies and opt for alternative booking pathways.” (Skift)

Travelers used to having a plethora of easily accessible choices when they book for leisure travel are unlikely to want to stay in a hotel ten miles from their meeting when they can book one across the street, or take a flight with a four-hour layover in another city if they can find a direct flight for the same price. They also want to have the option of building up frequent flier miles or hotel loyalty points with their preferred vendors or their credit cards, instead of being locked into providers chosen by their company. The bottom line is that business travelers go rogue when their company’s plan doesn’t offer sufficient convenience and flexibility.

Why Is It a Problem?

To understand why travel leakage is a problem, it helps to think about the purpose of having a managed travel program in the first place. The primary reasons companies engage with a TMC is to control costs and to access booking data that is traditionally only available from online booking tools.

The extent of the budget problem caused by off-channel bookings can vary with the size of the company and the structure of their travel policy. For larger companies that negotiate rates directly with a limited number of specific airlines or hotels, “unaccounted-for travel bookings mean the company won’t be able to take advantage of its full buying power when negotiating with suppliers, which could affect the company’s performance regarding contractual share or volume commitments,” (Travel Weekly). Even if this is not the case, having to compile complete records of travel spend after the fact from expense reports makes it difficult for companies to get an accurate picture of their overall expenditures or budget accurately for the future without investing significant time to pull accurate information together. Having a large number of off-channel bookings may also contribute to misperceptions of a company’s business travel patterns, which is problematic for decision-makers attempting to guide overall travel policy and practices.

For every company, travel leakage poses a serious problem to meeting duty of care requirements. At a minimum, a company should have current information on the location of all business travelers so they can be prepared to render assistance in the case of emergency. Off-channel bookings mean this information is not automatically made available, “elevat[ing] traveler risk when it comes to duty of care. When booking data is spread across channels that don’t automatically align, it takes time for travel managers to consolidate the data and makes it more difficult for them to provide assistance to travelers during a crisis.” (Skift) If a company is unable to respond effectively on behalf of a traveling employee because they lack critical duty of care information, they could face staggering liability in the event of an unfortunate outcome.

As prominent business travel thinker, blogger, and consultant, Scott Gillespie, says about untracked bookings, “How is failing to address this well-known and persistent problem not a dereliction of duty of care? Travel managers must find a way to turn bright lights on to this problem. It’s a question of how, not why.”

What Can Companies Do?

How companies respond to travel leakage may depend on their corporate culture. At one extreme, companies may clamp down on off-channel bookings in a punitive manner; “[p]articularly in older-guard industries like finance and insurance, corporate policies generally aren’t suggestions; they’re expected to be followed, with consequences for noncompliance ranging to as dire as nonreimbursement of travel expenses.” (Travel Weekly)

In reality, most companies shy away from penalizing employees for rogue bookings. Of the companies Phocuswright studied, “Twenty-eight percent…impose penalties when a traveler books flights outside of policy as against 57% who do not enforce their policy…For hotels and lodging, over six in 10 (61%) allow non-compliance to go unpunished and less than two in 10 (16%) have penalties in place. In fact, across segments and booking channel, very few mandated policies take the ‘stick’ approach to compliance.” In industries that particularly value employee creativity and innovative thinking, draconian enforcement of travel policy is unlikely to go down well with either management or business travelers.

One possible strategy to reduce leakage is for travel managers to better educate business travelers about the purpose and benefits of corporate travel programs. This only works as part of a comprehensive strategy regarding travel policy, because “the effectiveness of the communication and education efforts is frequently diminished by a lack of senior leadership support, especially in enforcing travel policies.” (Sabre, “Tips for TMCs to prevent travel policy leakage in the self-booking era”) It’s also not likely to have much of an impact if the options available to travelers don’t change to address shortcomings in choice or convenience.

Other companies have tried to reward travelers for consistently following travel policy. In these cases, “companies have set up internal incentive programs that award points for compliant in-channel bookings; those points can be accumulated and cashed in for rewards like airline class upgrades” (Travel Weekly). It’s hard to know if this type of approach provides sufficient motivation to combat the temptation to find a more convenient option online. For companies who are reluctant to concede that their existing program isn’t working as well as they’d hoped, though, it does offer a route to encourage compliance through rewards.

Increasingly, however, companies are realizing that attempting to fight the natural behavior that leads employees to prefer open booking solutions is futile. Rather than battling the tide, more companies are looking at systems that make it possible to incorporate open booking as part of a company’s managed travel plan.

Enabling Open Booking

Companies that already have a travel management program in place, may be hesitant to consider allowing open booking (as opposed to “closed” online booking tools), worried about losing control over their travel policy. However, the numbers show that in most cases off-channel booking is already a persistent problem. The answer lies in channeling travelers’ natural booking behavior in a way that guides them to book in-policy while making their travel visible to management and finance.

Shep is a solution such companies can use to fill in the gap left by their existing travel management strategy. Shep’s browser extension is easily installed and intuitively designed for ease of use. Companies do not need to invest significant time or money to add it as a supplement to the system they already have in place. Shep’s open booking platform is designed to let employees book the same way they would for their own vacation travel, on the same consumer sites they’re used to using. Spending limits are clear but applied flexibly over the myriad sites the extension works with. The important difference is that Shep captures all traveler booking data that management and finance need for duty of care and budget requirements at the moment of booking, keeping open booking travel spend as visible as that arranged through the primary corporate booking tool.

This offers companies the possibility of a hybridized travel management strategy that promotes the use of a primary travel management tool or system while pragmatically acknowledging that even under the best of circumstances, not all travel will be booked that way. Shep would offer an alternative pathway to keep travel spend and duty of care information visible in real time for travel booked outside of primary channels, acting as a “business travel insurance policy.” Data gathered through the extension could offer valuable insight into the characteristics of a company’s off-channel bookings share and point the way to useful policy adjustments. Shep can also serve as a test case for travel managers interested in piloting an open booking option to increase employee satisfaction.

Of course, for companies that do not already have a travel management program in place, Shep offers an easy way to introduce flexible control to business travel. Giving business travelers clear guidelines is associated with improved satisfaction; Business Travel News indicated that among their 2017 survey respondents“[t]he least happy travelers…were the ones who had the least support. This group indicated they had few or no policy guidelines. They painted a picture in which they were casting about for the tools and processes needed to book and execute a business trip.” Shep offers an intuitive, cost-effective way to provide travelers with the necessary guidance to book their own travel with confidence.

Maintaining control over budget, gathering the data to make informed policy decisions, and looking after employee safety will always be critical for companies seeking to manage business travel well. Technology that enables open booking while keeping travel spend visible will allow them to meet these goals and keep their travelers happy as well.

Interested in seeing how Shep can help you monitor and track bookings?

]]>https://sheptravel.com/travel-management-program-leakage/feed/0What Is Overbooking?https://sheptravel.com/what-is-overbooking/
https://sheptravel.com/what-is-overbooking/#respondWed, 24 Oct 2018 22:40:09 +0000https://sheptravel.com/?p=844Overbooking is a serious concern for business travelers operating with little margin for error. Knowing why overbooking happens and how you can reduce your risk of being bumped can save you both anxiety and the headache of having to rearrange your business travel plans on the fly.

]]>When you’re traveling for business, it’s common to be on a fixed schedule. You count on your travel arrangements to run smoothly so that you can get to that meeting or conference on time. All too frequently, however, travelers arrive at their departure gate to hear the familiar announcement that the airline is seeking volunteers to take a later flight, sparking dread that someone will be bumped from the overbooked flight. Overbooking represents a serious concern for business travelers operating with little margin for error. Knowing why overbooking happens and how you can reduce your risk of being bumped can save you both anxiety and the headache of having to rearrange your business travel plans on the fly.

Is This Legal?

Airline overbooking, the practice of selling more tickets for a given flight than there are available seats on the plane, is legal. Federal law does not specify any limits on overbooking, but it does require airlines to compensate passengers who are involuntarily bumped due to overbooking according to a formula that takes into account how long they are delayed from their original itinerary.

The Reason Behind Airline Overbooking

Why do airlines overbook their flights? Economics. Historically, the airline industry has run on very slim profit margins. As noted in The Economist, in addition to “stiff competition from their rivals, airlines face the problem that there is little competition in the industries that supply them. Two firms—Airbus and Boeing—provide the majority of the planes, and airports and air-traffic control are monopolies. At the same time, the industry is vulnerable to outside shocks, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, outbreaks of illnesses such as SARS or bird flu, and rises in the oil price.” These competing pressures combine to keep profits low. While newer price structures that have introduced fees for everything from baggage (checked or, in some cases, carry-on) to extra legroom or even guaranteed seat assignments have begun to increase revenue, those depend on having passengers on the plane.

Every empty seat on a flight represents a lost opportunity to make money, which means that airlines have a strong incentive to ensure that every flight they run is as full as possible. Airlines know that, according to historical data, on any given flight a certain percentage of ticketed passengers will fail to show up. According to a 2017 TechCrunch article, “[o]n average, the number of people not turning up to flights is around 5 percent, but, in certain circumstances, that number can be up to 15 percent.” Worse, “unused tickets cause a liability on the balance sheet—the tickets you sold are often still valid, you just don’t know exactly when those passengers are going to show up to try to re-book their seats.”

Thus, rather than run the risk of flying under capacity and losing money, airlines employ sophisticated statistical models to project how many tickets they should sell to make sure that all the seats on any given plane will be full on takeoff. They “use historical flight data to calculate the expected no-show rate for each route. For example, business travelers may switch flights at the last minute, but those traveling on summer holidays are less likely to change plans.” (Reuters) When they underestimate, seats remain empty. If they overestimate, someone will have to stay behind to catch another flight.

How Often Do Airlines Overbook Flights?

Experts agree that airlines routinely overbook flights for the reasons above. If their calculations are correct and their statisticians accurately estimate the number of no-shows, travelers never know that their seat on a flight might have been at risk. However, when it comes to overbooking flights, statistics show that airlines frequently get these numbers wrong. In 2016, 41,126 passengers were involuntarily denied boarding on the top 12 U.S. airlines, according to numbers from the U.S. Department of Transportation (Air Travel Consumer Report, March 2018, p. 35). In addition to this number, 429,819 passengers volunteered to leave an overbooked flight.

Numbers improved in 2017, due in large part to a highly publicized incident in April of that year when a doctor was physically forced off a United flight. The firestorm of negative publicity afterward prompted many airlines to reevaluate their overbooking policies. Still, according to the same government report, 23,233 passengers were involuntarily denied boarding in 2017 and 341,703 passengers volunteered to take a different flight. After the initial uproar following the incident, “Lawmakers introduced a flurry of legislation, but in the end, airlines were largely left to police themselves.” (Washington Post, April 9, 2018). Now, over a year later, the vast majority of airlines continue to allow overbooking, which means that business travelers who need to get where they’re going on time should still be wary.

Who Gets Bumped?

Airlines are required to first seek volunteers to take an alternate flight in cases of overbooking. If not enough passengers volunteer, they can theoretically select any passenger to remove from the plane. In practice, however, airlines follow criteria that are laid out in their “contract of carriage,” or the terms and conditions that you agree to when you purchase a ticket on their airline. These criteria tend to be similar from airline to airline and may include frequent flyer status, fare class of the ticket, and the time of check-in. For example, according to CNN Money, “American Airlines says it denies boarding based on order of check-in, but will also weigh ‘severe hardships,’ ticket cost and status within the carrier’s loyalty program. Delta Air Lines also considers check-in order and loyalty status and looks at if a passenger is slated to fly first or business class.”

Business travelers may already enjoy an advantage over other passengers in this regard. Flexible tickets that can be rescheduled without steep penalties are more popular with business travelers, who need to retain the ability to reschedule projected trips or meetings if necessary. They pay for this convenience up front, in higher ticket prices. Airlines are understandably reluctant to irritate customers who make greater contributions to their bottom line. This also explains why they put a higher priority on members of their loyalty programs, particularly frequent travelers who have reached the upper tiers of those programs based on miles traveled.

What Can I Do to Keep from Getting Bumped?

While it may nudge the odds in your favor, being a business traveler is no guarantee that an airline won’t bump you. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to minimize the chance of being forced to accept a delay:

Check-in promptly: When airlines have to decide who to deny boarding to, they will often take a “last in, first out” approach, meaning that passengers who wait until the last minute to check in for their flight are in more danger of involuntary bumping. Most airlines let you check in online or through a mobile app up to 24 hours in advance, so check in as early as you can.

Get a seat assignment: Get an assigned seat when you purchase your ticket, or if that is not possible, try to get one as soon as you check in for your flight. Passengers without confirmed seat assignments are more likely to get bumped.

Join the frequent flyer program: All other things being equal, an airline will prefer to accommodate its loyal customers. Even if you have not attained elite status, your membership may tip the scales in your favor.

Board when your group is called: It’s far easier for an airline to deny boarding to a passenger who has turned up late than it is for them to force someone who has already boarded to deplane.

But Wait—Hotels Overbook Too

Business travelers might think that if their flight was on time, their problems are over. However, like airlines, hotels have an incentive to overbook capacity to maximize revenue: Daniel J. Jones, former hotel manager, notes that “[t]hey know that on any given night there will almost always be a certain percentage of reservations that don’t show up. Hotel rooms are perishable, just like bananas on the shelf in a grocery store. The opportunity to earn revenue from that room is gone forever each and every time it goes empty.” (Huffington Post) Wendy Norris, corporate director of revenue and e-commerce at the Valencia Group advises managers, “If you’re not walking, you’re not being aggressive enough and there’s more money to be made….You shouldn’t be walking 10 to 20 people, but one-to-two a month shows you’re doing a good job on the revenue management side.” (Hotel News Now) While there is no comprehensive data to enlighten business travelers on the frequency with which hotel overbooking results in oversold rooms, the practice is common, and you should be prepared to take steps to minimize the chance it could interrupt your trip.

Like airlines, hotels base their overbooking decisions on historical data informing them of the likelihood of no-show guests on any given day. Should their calculations come out wrong, someone who thought they had a reservation will have to be “walked” (the industry term for turning guests away). This does not mean throwing you out onto the sidewalk, however. When hotels overbook and cannot accommodate all their guests, they “are obligated to make other, similar accommodations for someone without an available room and pay for that customer’s transport to a different location.” (Fortune)

For a leisure traveler, this may be a minor inconvenience, but it could potentially throw a serious wrench into a work trip. Business travelers select their accommodations carefully to facilitate the purpose of their trip. Being sent to an alternate location at short notice is unlikely to make it easier to get to that meeting or conference.

How to Avoid Being Walked

Hotels take many factors into account when deciding who to walk. These include the length of a guest’s stay, whether they are a single traveler or part of a group, membership in a loyalty program, and how late they arrive at the hotel. Obviously, hotels prefer to find the simplest solution to an overbooking situation, so they are more likely to walk a single guest who is checking in for only one night than someone who is projected to stay longer or is part of a group. They will also be reluctant to inconvenience frequent guests at their hotel. To lower your odds of being walked, you should:

Be mindful of your check-in time: Your travel plans may not give you the option of checking in early, but if you know you’re going to arrive well past a normal check-in time, call the hotel to let them know. If they know you’re on the way, they are less likely to give your room away.

Join the hotel’s loyalty program: Even if you’re not in the top rungs of their loyalty program, your membership in a hotel’s loyalty program signals your intention to become a repeat guest, if you’re not already.

Strategic Booking Can Help

Shep’s open booking platform gives business travelers the flexibility to choose from a myriad of options when booking their itineraries and accommodations. They can use this factor to their advantage to select in-policy choices for both airlines and hotels where they maintain memberships. In addition, you can use Shep to book with two of the very few airlines who maintain a “no overbooking” policy, JetBlue and Southwest. Should the worst happen, your team back home has the details of your travel itinerary via Shep’s Admin Dashboard, so they can help you troubleshoot if necessary.

Overbooking is a potential pitfall of business travel, but the situation may be improving. There are welcome signs that improved analytics and a renewed focus on customer satisfaction are reducing the trend for airlines, in particular, to put profits over people. In the meantime, understanding why it happens can help you take proactive steps to avoid having your next business trip disrupted.

]]>https://sheptravel.com/what-is-overbooking/feed/07 Tips for Staying Healthy While Traveling for Businesshttps://sheptravel.com/staying-healthy-while-traveling-tips/
https://sheptravel.com/staying-healthy-while-traveling-tips/#respondFri, 19 Oct 2018 20:47:09 +0000https://sheptravel.com/?p=820Taking care of your body should be as much of a priority as the objective of your business trip. By taking care of your well-being, you can stay healthy while traveling, and avoid the germs that are making the rounds.

]]>Now that the laid-back days of summer are officially behind us, business travel is ramping back up again. In 2016, “weekly traveler volumes were higher from September through November than during the rest of the year,” according to a recent study, which also noted that “infrequent [business] travelers had a huge influence on the jump in travelers that make October and November the busiest travel months of the year”(Concur). Rental car company Hertz also noted that October was their busiest month, “credit[ing] the distinction to the busy stretch of conferences and conventions that begins in October” (Travel Market Report) Hitting the road to wrap up those last important tasks before the end of the year can take a toll on your physical well-being, leaving you prone to exhaustion and susceptible to germs.

As frequent business travelers ourselves, the team at Shep knows that staying healthy while traveling can be a challenge. We compiled our top seven tips to stay healthy while traveling on business.

1. Keep your hands clean

It’s all too easy to pick up germs when you’re in a crowded airport or on a packed flight. Washing your hands is one of the simplest things you can do to prevent that—as the CDC notes, it’s “one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick and prevent the spread of germs to others.” If you won’t always have ready access to soap and water, pack a small bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your carry-on to use in a pinch. For extra protection, carry some disinfecting wipes to clean off your tray table, armrests, or other hard surfaces that may not have been thoroughly cleaned after the last passenger deplaned.

2. Drink plenty of water

Dehydration causes headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and takes a toll on memory, attention, and cognition—clearly not the state you want to be in when it’s time for that big meeting. Airplanes can exacerbate a tendency to dehydrate, since the relative humidity on board is typically 20%, much lower than we’re used to. Whether you prefer to sip throughout the day or track a certain number of ounces, make sure you keep your water intake up. Experts agree that the right amount can vary according to the individual, so pay attention to how you feel in addition to when you last had a glass of water.

3. Eat sensibly

It can be tempting to treat a business trip like a vacation, but eating high-sodium, high-fat, high-calorie foods for days on end can leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. On top of that, medical research indicates that constantly consuming foods full of sugar, salt, and fat can affect your immune system and “lead to health problems such as increased inflammation [and] reduced control of infection.” (Time) Pack healthy snacks for the plane, opt for fresh fruit and veggies when you can, eat reasonable portions, and steer clear of fried, heavily sauced, and outrageously rich foods. If you’re worried about getting all the proper micronutrients, pack a multivitamin to take daily to supplement your diet.

4. Get adequate sleep

Sleep isn’t just important for keeping you sharp for your presentation or panel discussion. Lack of rest can make you more susceptible to illness after you’ve been exposed to a virus. Make sure that your schedule allows you enough time to sleep and put a priority on maintaining healthy sleep habits while you’re away. If you need a little extra help drifting off, consider taking a melatonin supplement before bedtime.

5.Stay active

Business trips invariably involve a lot of sitting—in airplanes, in meetings, during presentations, etc. Unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle is linked to lowered immune function, so it’s important to find opportunities to get active while you’re traveling for business. That doesn’t mean you have to carve out time for a full cardio workout in the hotel gym, although it’s not a bad idea to pack your workout clothes if you’re so inclined. You don’t need that much exercise to start seeing both physical and mental benefits, so take the stairs or walk around the block a couple of times a day. If you tend to get so absorbed in your work that you forget to move around, set your fitness tracker to remind you periodically, or use a fitness app on your phone to help you keep physical activity on your to-do list.

6. Avoid alcohol

Too much alcohol won’t just leave you feeling lousy the next day. Excessive consumption will dehydrate you and can weaken your immune system. Even low and moderate amounts of drinking can impair the quality of sleep you get, making you feel tired even if you think you’ve gotten enough sleep. Decide on your limit before you hit happy hour to discuss the day with your colleagues, and then stick to it. Your body will thank you.

7.Get a flu shot

Although flu activity tends to peak between December and February, according to the CDC, flu season traditionally kicks off in October. There are signs that the flu may already be circulating since some of the ill passengers on the flight from Dubai that was recently quarantined at JFK International Airport tested positive for the virus. If you want to avoid becoming an early adopter of this year’s version, get a flu shot two to three weeks before your trip, to give your body time to develop necessary antibodies.

Knowing how to stay healthy while traveling really boils down to taking the time to think about making your well-being as much of a priority as the objective of your trip. After all, if you’re under the weather, you won’t be nearly as effective as you might be when you’re feeling well. It’s worth planning ahead so that you can stay at the top of your game rather than falling victim to a cold, the flu, or whatever another germ is making the rounds.

]]>https://sheptravel.com/staying-healthy-while-traveling-tips/feed/0How to Best Work in an Airport Departure Loungehttps://sheptravel.com/airport-departure-lounge-working/
https://sheptravel.com/airport-departure-lounge-working/#respondFri, 19 Oct 2018 20:27:02 +0000https://sheptravel.com/?p=765Trying to work at an airport can be a hassle for business travelers due to the loud noise, slow Wi-Fi service, and lack of seating. Instead of dealing with the commotion of the airport environment, Shep’s Chief Technology Officer, Rafael Torres, will tell you why you should use an airport departure lounge to have a productive work session.

The conditions of an average airport terminal seem perfectly tailored to make it impossible to get anything productive done. Think crowds, noise, terrible Wi-Fi, and not enough seating (to say nothing of electrical outlets). If you’re traveling for business and feeling pressed to stay on top of things at the home office as well as the objectives of your trip, time spent in a terminal before your flight or waiting through a long layover can feel wasted and draining. This is why an airport departure lounge can be a life-saver for dedicated business travelers. Shep’s Chief Technology Officer, Rafael Torres, gave us his insights about what you’ll find at an airport departure lounge and what you can expect to get accomplished there.

Where Can You Find an Airport Departure Lounge?

Major airlines tend to place airport departure lounges at their hubs and most important destinations. There may also be airport-run lounges or independent lounges available at the airports where you’ll be traveling. If you’re flying on a first-class or business-class ticket, or are a high-level member of your airline’s loyalty program, the first thing to do is to check your airline’s website. You’ll find a list of lounges available, as well as information on the amenities offered at each one. Even when airlines don’t run their own lounges at a particular location, they may offer access to their premium passengers and loyalty club members through reciprocal agreements with other airlines in networks such as Star Alliance or oneworld. Do some research as you’re planning your trip to determine the location of lounges you can access.

How Do You Get Access to an Airport Departure Lounge?

Airport lounge access has become somewhat easier to get in recent years. Even if you’re not flying first- or business-class or an elite member of an airline’s loyalty club, it is often still possible to gain access to a departure lounge. Some airlines will allow you to purchase either an annual pass giving you access to their lounges, or even single-day passes. Independently operated airport lounges or airport-run lounges tend to sell day passes as well. Third-party vendors such as membership-based PriorityPass or single-purchase LoungeBuddy can also get you in the door at lounges that are part of their networks. Finally, if you have an upper-level airline rewards credit card, lounge access may be included in your card benefits.

Check ahead to see if your fare class, frequent-flyer status, or credit card will allow you to access a lounge at your location without any additional fee. If not, it still may be worthwhile to pay for access, depending on how long you have to spend in the airport and what you can accomplish with the right place to work.

What Do You Get in an Airport Departure Lounge?

Rafael has worked out of lounges run by Virgin Australia, Alitalia, Delta, Emirates, Korean Airlines, and Turkish Airlines in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia. He noted some important commonalities among the airline-run lounges he’s visited, as well as some individual differences worth knowing about.

All of them had important basic features: comfortable seating, restrooms stocked with amenities like hand towels and moisturizers, free food and drinks, free Wi-Fi, arrival/departure screens so you can monitor the status of your upcoming flight, world newspapers, and quiet areas appropriate for taking a call. They also made public announcements of flight departures, and in some, attendants would come to get you when it was time for your flight. These complimentary benefits allow business travelers to settle in and take advantage of their time before or in between flights.

A few of the lounges included additional perks. The lounges he visited in LAX, Sydney, Istanbul, and Atlanta International had showers, and the ones in Istanbul and Seoul had sleeping rooms, perfect for travelers needing to rejuvenate during a long layover. The Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul also included massage chairs, which made the list of things he’d like to see in more lounges.

The arrangement common to most airport lounges makes them a good place to set up your laptop to check email and get some work done or take a call or two. If your travel plans intersect with those of a colleague or business contact, a lounge can also work to touch base in person while you’re on the road. One important caveat, according to Rafael, is depending on the time of day or how many other people are using the lounge, designated call areas may not be as quiet as you need them to be. In his opinion, some of the lounges would not have been appropriate to take a video call.

The first item on his lounge wish list would be the addition of individual booths where you could take private calls. If you’re planning ahead for how you’ll make use of your time in a departure lounge, you’ll probably want to save your confidential calls for when you’ve reached your destination.

The Bottom Line?

“My experience has been good overall,” Rafael says. “A departure lounge can give you enough privacy and tools (e.g., reliable WiFi and comfortable chairs) to work remotely or re-energize in between flights. Some of them have better food than others, but for the most part, the food is good enough. Having shower rooms available is a big plus if you’re planning to go to a business meeting right after your trip. Their bars can also be a good place to network with other business travelers; similarly, it’s a place where you could potentially have in-person meetings if the schedule allows it.” As frequent business travelers, the team at Shep knows that using your time on the road strategically can greatly improve your business travel experience. Shep gives travelers the flexibility to make travel plans that can maximize their access to resources like airport departure lounges, without having to book off-channel or go outside company travel policy. When you arrive at your destination caught up, relaxed, and refreshed, you can get down to business without missing a step.

]]>https://sheptravel.com/airport-departure-lounge-working/feed/0An Alternative to the Traditional Daily Stand-up Meeting Formathttps://sheptravel.com/alternative-to-traditional-stand-up-meeting-format/
https://sheptravel.com/alternative-to-traditional-stand-up-meeting-format/#respondThu, 27 Sep 2018 16:15:35 +0000https://sheptravel.com/?p=790Our stand-ups were taking over 20 mins, and most importantly, often times people would leave the meeting feeling misaligned. This didn't help the team feel confident about our focus and short-term progress. For a little while, we tried tweaking some things about the meeting, like the scheduled time, reminding people to just report "what matters", etc. Regardless of what we did, the result would essentially be the same. Over time, this would perpetuate the notion that the problem lied in the participants' communication skills. But, what if that wasn't the case? What if the problem lied somewhere else?

]]>TL;DR During the daily stand-up meeting, focus on the project; not the individual. Structure your stand-up to reflect that by using the board as the focus point, and re-phrasing your questions accordingly.

The daily stand-up has become a very common practice in software teams, especially in Agile ones, as a way to communicate current status. These 3 questions (or a similar formulation) are typical in these meetings:

- What did you do Yesterday?
- What's your goal for today?
- Is there anything blocking you from making progress?

The Problem

Our stand-ups were taking over 20 mins, and most importantly, often times people would leave the meeting feeling misaligned. This didn’t help the team feel confident about our focus and short-term progress. For a little while, we tried tweaking some things about the meeting, like the scheduled time, reminding people to just report “what matters”, etc. Regardless of what we did, the result would essentially be the same. Over time, this would perpetuate the notion that the problem lied in the participants’ communication skills. But, what if that wasn’t the case? What if the problem lied somewhere else?

After much thought, while contemplating the meeting questions, this dawned on me:

What did you do Yesterday?

What’s your goal for today?

Is there anything blocking you from making progress?

See the pattern? The object of these questions is you; the individual, not the project. I realized these questions are framed in a way that could lead people into a mindset that’s more conducive to having to explain how they spent (will spend) their entire workday Yesterday (today). If that was the case, that could explain why people tended to linger on their answers and provide information that was irrelevant to the stand-up; they just needed to defend themselves. If somebody were to ask you (regardless of the context) what you did Yesterday, you would feel more inclined to recreate your entire day; relevant and irrelevant information included.

Another realization that followed, was the fact that our stand-up consisted of “each one” in the team answering the previous questions, regardless of whether they had anything to contribute to the status update for that day. Who wants to appear as if they did nothing the previous day, especially when everybody else in the team does, right? Again, if what we wanted was useful information out of this meeting, this protocol did not seem to help.

So we decided to make some changes to our stand-up meeting format.

Our Solution

We concluded we needed to shift the focus more towards the project. Hence, we implemented these 2 changes:

1. Rely on the scrum board for the updates

Since we are a remote team, we now make sure the board is screen-shared every time. We also let the cards that are not done yet (i.e., In Progress, Review or Testing) guide the stand-up by simply going over them one-by-one. Obviously, each card has an assignee who’s usually the “reporter” for that task, but it doesn’t stop anybody else from providing related information. Another plus to this is that it allows us all to be on the same page after each meeting, by discussing all tasks at hand. Moreover, it creates an opportunity to re-prioritize and re-allocate tasks on-the-spot as unforeseen needs arise.

2. Rephrase the status questions

We also changed the questions to (while focusing on each card on the board):

What was done Yesterday for this card?

What’s the next step to be done on this card?

What are the blockers for this card?

This version is much more focused on the project itself, and on the tasks at hand. It leads us to have a common focus that’s more actionable, and less defensive. In particular, the second question helps clarify short-term goals for junior developers in a team environment as it’s phrased in a way that opens the floor for the entire team to provide feedback.

Results

After 3 months of using this new format, our stand-up average time is < 10 mins, and the best of all, people report higher satisfaction. We all leave the meeting with a concrete understanding of what the priorities and goals for the current day are, which allows our team to adapt more rapidly to the current needs.

]]>https://sheptravel.com/alternative-to-traditional-stand-up-meeting-format/feed/0Duty of Care and You: What a Business Traveler Needs to Knowhttps://sheptravel.com/duty-of-care-business-traveler/
Sat, 08 Sep 2018 17:18:07 +0000https://sheptravel.com/?p=723Duty of care is likely to play a significant role in how your company drafts and enforces its travel policy, however lenient or strict that policy is. Grasping the reasoning behind these policy decisions can help you understand company requirements regarding business travel and work with your employers for your own benefit.

Business travel is an integral part of the corporate landscape today. Whether or not safety is the first thing on your mind as you catch a plane to head to a conference or a meeting to negotiate a new contract, it has undoubtedly come up among the executives responsible for managing travel at your company. Employers have a duty of care to their employees— this means they have an obligation to keep you safe while you are on the road on their behalf. The actions a company takes to reduce the potential for harm to their employees are known collectively as travel risk management. While it isn’t possible to completely eliminate risk from travel, it is possible to reduce the likelihood that something bad will happen to you while you’re away from home and to ensure that you have support in troubleshooting difficulties that do arise.

Duty of care is likely to play a significant role in how your company drafts and enforces its travel policy, however lenient or strict that policy is. Grasping the reasoning behind these policy decisions can help you understand company requirements regarding business travel and work with your employers for your own benefit.

The Spectrum of Duty of Care: The Whys Behind Your Company’s Policy

Although the concept of duty of care applies to all companies, what it means in terms of a business travel safety policy can vary widely. That’s because not all business travel carries the same risks. Ideally, the requirements your company puts in place and the support it provides will be tailored to any difficulties you would be likely to encounter on the road.

High-profile catastrophes in recent years, such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters, have woken more companies up to the need to have a travel risk management program in place to protect their employees. The reality is, however, that worst-case scenarios may not be where most companies need to put their focus. In fact, “the three issues that business travelers are most likely to encounter are petty crime and theft, medical and health situations, and bad weather” as noted in a 2017 New York Times article. However, if your business travel takes you to high-risk countries, the likelihood of you encountering a more exotic problem could rise dramatically. This is why duty of care travel management can never be a one-size-fits-all proposition. What should you, as a business traveler, expect from your company?

The Bare Minimum: Where Are You Going to Be?

At one end of the spectrum are companies that do very little by way of travel risk management. They may have a low volume of business travel or travel that is mostly conducted domestically. Especially for small or medium-sized businesses in this position, their written travel policy is likely to be minimal, if not nonexistent. However, even these companies need one critical piece information from you in order to look out for your well-being—where you are supposed to be at what time. This includes, at a minimum, your airline reservations and hotel booking information.

Surprisingly, even for larger companies that use dedicated travel management companies or corporate booking tools to arrange their business travel, gathering such information isn’t always a straightforward proposition. A recent survey by the Expedia Affiliate Network revealed that 68 percent of business travelers booked at least half of their travel outside of approved tools. Duty of care is a moral and legal obligation that’s diminished in effectiveness by booking outside of approved tools. Without knowledge of your itinerary or location, your company is unable to help or support you if an emergency occurs while you’re traveling.

To be sure that your company has your back when you’re out of town, make sure you understand who is supposed to know your travel information before you depart and confirm that they have it. What happens if your itinerary changes while you’re in transit—for example, if your flight is canceled or your hotel is overbooked and you have to change accommodations? In that case, it’s also a good idea to touch base so your travel manager, direct superior, or whoever is responsible for keeping track of your whereabouts is in the know and can help you troubleshoot, if necessary.

Shaping Policy to Support Safety

At the next level, even companies that don’t have the internal resources to take a more active role in duty of care business travel management can influence travel behavior in ways that promote safety. For instance, if you’re taking a long-haul flight or a red-eye to get to your destination, does company policy allow you to book business class so you can arrive rested or ready to work? If not, does it allow for you to take a taxi or car service to your destination rather than immediately getting behind the wheel of a rental car?

This type of duty of care oversight can be general or more detailed, depending on the needs of your company. Scott McBride, vice president for loss prevention at American Eagle, cited an example of his company’s travel policy regarding foreign ground transportation: “With us, you’re not permitted to rent a car if you can’t read the language.” While many travel policies are focused on keeping business travel within reasonable budget limits, companies have learned to recognize that cheapest is not always best for employee welfare.

Forewarned is Forearmed: Proactive Monitoring and Training

Knowing what you’re getting into is an important part of minimizing risk. Companies with a more active travel risk management policy may take a number of steps to monitor the potential risk of an upcoming business trip, such as checking current State Department travel advisories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information on recommended vaccines for international travel destinations. For areas prone to extreme weather events, in-house travel managers might also monitor the forecast leading up to a proposed trip. After all, it’s probably better to postpone a trip than to have your sales team stranded in Orlando during a hurricane.

Training can also play a crucial role in keeping travelers safe. Unfortunately, June 2017 research by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives showed that “almost half (49 per cent) of travel managers [did] not have traveller safety training in place.” Educational initiatives can include information on your destination, how to navigate the culture, general safety tips, and how to access local resources in case of mishaps like a lost passport or a sudden minor illness. In the same ACTE report, of the travel managers polled “23 percent cite[d] a lack of awareness about available training as a hurdle,” meaning that employees of companies that had these resources available did not always know about them.

Expert Assistance

When companies frequently send travelers to emerging markets or other areas of the world that are deemed high-risk, they may opt to employ an outside duty of care provider. Companies like WorldAware (formerly iJet), International SOS, and On Call International provide 24/7 service to companies to track and assist their employees in the worst-case scenarios that might arise in volatile regions. Techniques to keep closer tabs on employees include geofencing (using GPS technology to monitor their location and send alerts if they head into unsafe areas), credit card tracking (using their purchase records, usually on a company credit card to follow their movements), or direct SMS communications. Duty of care companies also keep close tabs on the situation in countries around the world and provide updates on potential problems, from weather disasters to mounting civil unrest, to advise their clients prior to travel. Should a crisis arise, these companies provide the support needed to assure the safety of their clients’ business travelers.

Grey Areas: “Bleisure” Travel and What that Means for Duty of Care

According to a 2017 study by the GBTA foundation, the research and education arm of the Global Business Travel Association, 37 percent of North American business travelers extended a work trip for leisure in the previous year. Millennials were much more likely to have done so than Gen-Xers or Baby Boomers, which means this trend may increase in coming years. Travelers polled indicated that they most often took “bleisure” trips “to visit a destination where they like to spend their time (43 percent) or visit a new destination they wanted to see (38 percent),” with having a cheaper way to take a vacation or needing time away also cited as significant reasons.

While allowing bleisure travel can be a good way for companies to encourage their employees to find a reasonable work-life balance, having employees essentially clock out while they’re out of town or out of the country brings up questions of whose responsibility it is if something goes wrong. The 2017 GBTA foundation study noted that “on their last bleisure trip, 12 percent of travelers experienced an issue where they needed assistance from their company or the person who arranged the travel. This begs the question of when does a company’s liability and obligation to help their traveler begin and end.”

If you’re not sure if your company has a formal bleisure policy, you’re not alone. In the Bleisure Report, a 2014 study by BridgeStreet Global Hospitality, only 13.7 percent of survey respondents said their company had a policy on combining leisure travel with a business trip, with 59 percent saying no and 27.3 percent unsure. When you’re requesting additional time around a business trip to do some sightseeing or just unwind before heading back to the daily grind, it pays to clarify everybody’s expectations in advance and define what your company is and is not responsible for when you are on your own time.

Some issues to consider: Who is responsible for what expenses? Does the company’s insurance and/or assistance program extend beyond the days you’re directly engaged in business travel, or to guests or family members who may be joining you at your location? Does your company expect you to keep them informed of your location and travel arrangements during the bleisure portion of your trip? Getting firm answers to these questions before you embark on your journey will save you from potential pitfalls when your business trip has turned into a vacation.

Finding a Happy Medium Between Traveler Convenience and Duty of Care

Travel managers are beginning to accept that employees booking outside of travel management tools and corporate travel agencies is not a trend that is going away. Instead, “driven by the need to control invisible spending and adjust to new trends in traveler behavior, travel professionals are turning to technology to capture direct booking data. Some are making it easier for travelers to share their trip information, while others are using an automated data capture system, among other methods.” (Travel Industry Wire)

Shep addresses both duty of care imperatives and traveler convenience, by automatically sharing critical booking information at the time of purchase while enabling business travelers to book with their favorite direct suppliers like Delta, Airbnb, Marriott) with the OTAs (Expedia, Orbitz etc.) and OTA sites they are most comfortable with. It also provides robust reporting and analysis on travel data to give companies the big-picture information they need to shape travel policy from both budgetary and safety perspectives. For smaller companies needing to initiate duty-of-care tracking or larger companies needing to supplement existing travel management procedures to capture complete data, Shep is a lightweight solution that can be easily implemented. It balances the need for traveler convenience by giving employees more freedom to book the way they are naturally inclined to with the need for employers to responsibly manage travel risk.

When you’re traveling for business, your company needs to look out for you. You can help protect yourself by familiarizing yourself with company travel policy—whether it is minimal or comprehensive—and complying with its requirements. As Mike Kelly, former CEO of On Call International, writes, an employee should “actively participate in trip planning, follow the emergency procedures outlined in the companies’ policies and…use general common sense in avoiding unnecessary risks when traveling on behalf of their employers.” (Corporate Compliance Insights) Knowing that those policies help to promote your safety should encourage your active partnership in helping your company meet its obligations to you.

]]>Shep Among Business Travel Innovators to Compete at Innovatehttps://sheptravel.com/shep-business-travel-innovators/
https://sheptravel.com/shep-business-travel-innovators/#respondThu, 02 Aug 2018 02:55:14 +0000http://sheptravel.wpengine.com/?p=620The BTN Group, publishers of Business Travel News, Travel Procurement and The Beat, has selected twelve companies to compete for the Business Travel Innovator Awards at the 5th Annual Innovate, the conference for the advancement of business travel.

Business Travel Innovators to Compete at Innovate

NEW YORK, NY — The BTN Group, publishers of Business Travel News, Travel Procurement and The Beat, has selected twelve companies to compete for the Business Travel Innovator Awards at the 5th Annual Innovate, the conference for the advancement of business travel, at the New York Hilton Midtown on October 29-30, 2018. Innovate combines cutting-edge education, innovation and industry networking for pre-qualified corporate travel managers and travel procurement professionals with a minimum $5 million annual T&E budget.

Each Business Travel Innovator Lab presenter has seven minutes of uninterrupted speaking time followed by four minutes of questions from a panel of expert judges and two minutes of audience Q&A. Presentations will take place on Monday, October 29th. Two winners, one selected by the judges and one selected by the audience, will be announced on October 30th.

“We have seen tremendous interest this year with more than 30 applications and we are excited for our 500 attendees to have an opportunity to hear from the twelve companies chosen by our selection committee,” said David Meyer, Executive Director, Conference Content & Strategy for The BTN Group.

TravelBank — A travel and expense platform that uses a proprietary algorithm to predict travel costs and build budgets and that features an app for camera-first expense tracking, special corporate rates and an auto-rewards program for incentivizing behavior.

The BTN Group is the leading source of business travel and meeting information and intelligence. The BTN Group has an unrivaled reach of more than 65,000 business travel/meeting professionals with its leading global brands: Business Travel News, Travel Procurement and The Beat. Our expert staff delivers the highest-quality business-to-business news, information, data and research for corporate executives who are responsible for setting travel policy and managing and buying business travel and meetings on behalf of their companies. The BTN Group produces more than 30 annual conferences and events that create the ideal environment for business travel/meeting buyers and suppliers to connect through education and networking.

EagleTree Capital (formerly Wasserstein Partners) is a mid-market private equity and investment company focused on the media and communications, consumer products and water and industrial sectors. The firm manages capital on behalf of institutional and individual investors and is currently investing EagleTree Partners IV. EagleTree Capital is located in New York. For more information, visit https://www.eagletree.com.

]]>https://sheptravel.com/shep-business-travel-innovators/feed/0Top 7 Business Travel Apps to Elevate Your Travel Experiencehttps://sheptravel.com/business-travel-app/
https://sheptravel.com/business-travel-app/#respondWed, 01 Aug 2018 02:24:48 +0000http://sheptravel.wpengine.com/?p=616With the right business travel apps, your smartphone can be a powerful tool to make your travel experience as smooth as possible. Here’s a list of the best business travel apps we’ve found for keeping you organized, connected, and at the top of your game, no matter where on the globe your travels take you.

The Right Business Travel App

Business travel can be a complex juggling act. Experienced business travelers know that attending a meeting, closing a deal, or presenting at a conference is just part of the challenge. You’ve got to get yourself to your destination properly equipped, on time, and prepared to deal with an unfamiliar locale. You have to keep yourself in good physical shape so you can be your best while you’re on the job. Finally, you’ve got to stay connected to the team back home—after all, they’re not just taking an extended coffee break while you’re on the road. The Shep team travels often for business. Our time on the road and working remotely is why we so intuitively understand the corporate travel experience and we know a great business travel app can make a huge difference in elevating that experience.

With the right business travel app, your smartphone can be a powerful tool to make your experience as smooth as possible. No doubt you’re already making use of it—like checking in for your flight and getting a mobile boarding pass on your app or taking a look at the extended weather forecast for your destination before you begin to pack. Nowadays, though, that’s only the beginning. The App Store and Google Play are loaded with apps designed to make your professional life easier. Here’s a list of the best business travel apps we’ve found for keeping you organized, connected, and at the top of your game, no matter where on the globe your travels take you.

XE Currency: If you’re traveling abroad, keeping track of the latest exchange rates for local currency is critical for making sure that you’re staying within your per diem. XE Currency gives you live updates on the exchange rates for every world currency, allowing you to track up to ten of them on the free version. It also includes a currency converter calculator so you can easily figure out what that lunch costs in dollars. If you don’t have access to the internet, the app uses the last stored currency value, so you can still make conversions when you’re offline. Available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Windows.

PackPoint: Making sure that you’ve got all your professional materials in order for a business trip may put the mundane task of packing on the back burner. To avoid that sinking feeling when you realize you forgot your phone charger or toothbrush as you’re headed through the security line, let PackPoint make a customized packing list for you. Enter when and where you’re going to travel, how long you’re going to be there, and the purpose of your trip. The app takes weather into account and gives you a list of the items you should pack. You can hide items you don’t need, add items or update quantities, check off items as you go, and even share your list with fellow travelers. Available for iPhone and Android.

Sleep Watch: While Sleep Watch is not specifically a business travel app, broken sleep is almost a given if you’ve got a hectic travel schedule or are crossing multiple time zones to get to your meeting or business event. Sleep Watch is a free app that converts your Apple Watch into a sleep tracker that logs both the amount and the quality of sleep you get. As you track data over time, Sleep Watch’s AI gives you personalized insight into the factors that are affecting your sleep. Particularly useful for travelers is the Sleep Charge Tracking feature, that helps you recover from recently missed sleep. Available for iPhone.

DocuSign: This easy-to-use secure electronic signature app lets you finalize your business from wherever you are and is one of the ultimate business travel apps. Prepare your documents and get an electronic signature on the spot using your mobile device—no more waiting to send out a contract until after you’ve gotten back to the office. You can send documents and track their status, so you know who signed when. Everything is encrypted so you can transact business safely and securely. Available for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows.

mPassport: If you got food poisoning in Ankara, or broke a crown in Frankfurt, would you know where to turn? The mPassport app helps you find prescreened doctors and dentists abroad in the event that you have a medical issue that just can’t wait until you travel home. Additional features allow you to search for common medications to find out their local brand name and availability, play translations of symptoms and medical terms for non–English speaking caregivers, and submit claims to your insurance. Available for iPhone, Android, and Kindle.

Asana: Whether you’re managing a team or just trying to stay in sync with your co-workers on a project, keeping progress aligned and on schedule can be challenging even when you’re on-site. Asana is a business travel app heavily favored by the Shep team. It lets you set up your projects so that tasks, deadlines, and who’s responsible for what are all clear. The whole team stays informed about progress and priorities, and the web-based format is available wherever you go. You can be sure that work in the office is on track even when you’re hundreds of miles away. Available for iPhone and Android.

Evernote: If you’re the kind of business traveler who likes to make use of every long flight and layover to be productive, Evernote is the app you’ll want to have. You can write and organize notes from your mobile device that sync to the web so they’re accessible from any device. If you’re offline, create a note and it will sync the next time you connect to the internet. The search tool can even search handwritten notes, so you can easily find materials later. Available for iPhone and Android.

Your Phone is Your Toolkit

Your phone can become a useful toolkit for a variety of business travel tasks if you have the right business travel app for your needs. When you’re organized, connected to your team back home, and healthy, you can relax and focus on the objective of your trip rather than getting distracted by the hassles that almost inevitably crop up with travel. It’s worth taking the time before you catch an Uber to the airport to think about what you’ll need to know and do while you’re away. Undoubtedly there’s an app that can help you do it more easily.

]]>https://sheptravel.com/business-travel-app/feed/0Duty of Care: Employers’ Obligation Towards Traveling Employeeshttps://sheptravel.com/duty-of-care-traveling-employees/
https://sheptravel.com/duty-of-care-traveling-employees/#respondSun, 08 Jul 2018 00:28:07 +0000http://sheptravel.wpengine.com/?p=604For corporate managers, understanding the notion of duty of care in the context of corporate travel is essential for ensuring compliance and establishing a sufficient business travel safety policy for company employees. So, before sending them off to their next corporate adventure with a carry-on bag in hand, set aside the time necessary to comprehend the big picture around duty of care and what it means for employers.

In today’s digital world, traveling for business has become a norm for anyone accustomed to the nature of doing business. Whether you’re booking a flight to your next trip or overseeing the travel planning process for your team, heading to the check-in line for an out-of-state meeting is just part of the corporate game. Yet, with the notion of safety making its way to being one of the top—if not the top priority for business travelers—today’s employers are increasingly on edge when it comes to fulfilling their obligations pertaining to travel risk management for their traveling employees.

In fact, during a live audience poll of travel managers at a recent ACTE (Association of Corporate Travel Executives) conference, “Risk Management” was the runaway leader (67%) in why companies worry about the lost visibility and control that comes with booking on consumer travel sites.

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For corporate managers, understanding the notion of duty of care in the context of corporate travel is essential for ensuring compliance and establishing a sufficient business travel safety policy for company employees. So, before sending them off to their next corporate adventure with a carry-on bag in hand, set aside the time necessary to comprehend the big picture around duty of care and what it means for employers.

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What exactly is Duty of Care?

Whereas travel risk management is considered by Business Travel News (BTN) the “course of action” which companies take in order to provide safety measures for business travelers—duty of care is their legal obligation to do so. In other words, according to a 2018 Lockton report, employers have “the moral and legal responsibility and obligation for the health, safety, and security of their employees, especially those traveling on behalf of the employer,” domestically and across continents. It essentially touches upon certain actions that corporate managers choose to make or not make in the context of their business travel safety policy.

As a business manager, ensuring the safety and overall well-being of your employees that travel should be the first on your list of priorities when implementing a sufficient and sustainable duty of care travel policy. Apparently, according to Wex Travel Payments Insights (Wex), a “legal brief on travelweekly.com” claims that “the US, unlike other countries, lacks federal or state regulations” when it comes to protecting their employees that travel. Despite the fact that the laws pertaining to duty of care in the U.S. are lacking, business managers must still abide by their legal obligation when it comes to caring for their employees.

With the number of unforeseen risks entailed in business travel, taking the time to incorporate a safety policy is pertinent to the overall functionality of your business in the long run.

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Understanding obligations pertaining to safety and security

We know, with the ever-changing and evolving dynamic of travel in the workforce, staying up to date about your obligations as an employer is easily placed on the back-burner. Though, as easy as it is to set it aside and convince ourselves that it will be addressed at a later point, or when something tragic happens—now, more than ever is the time to face the responsibility.

Take a moment to understand the ever-growing necessity for employers to implement a duty of care travel safety policy and what you can do to ensure compliance.

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Workers’ compensation

According to BTN 2018, “workers compensation insurance generally covers a company’s responsibility” and limited liability towards U.S. employees who get injured or become ill on the job. For U.S. employers, it presents a great safe haven against any claims they may receive with this insurance in place. Yet, for U.S. employees, workers’ compensation provides a sense of protection and assurance knowing that their employers are responsible in the event that unfortunate circumstances arise throughout their corporate travel.

Though, as great an offer as workers’ compensation is on all ends of the spectrum, it still does not cover the broader scope of responsibilities that employers have towards their business travelers. Stephen Barth, a “University of Houston law professor and founder of the Hospitality Lawyer media and information platform” is referenced in the same BTN report explaining that “once an employee gets a certain distance from where the business is located—and that distance varies from state to state—workers compensation no longer provides coverage.”

With this in mind, there is a growing need for legal and moral ramifications that employers must abide by when implementing a duty of care travel policy that caters to a broader scope of circumstances.

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Determining and evaluating the risk factors

In every job, there are a number of risks that employees have to face. Business travelers especially seem to come across these threats more frequently than not. A 2016 IPSOS Survey of 1,119 people who “organise, influence, or are responsible for” their company’s “travel and risk mitigation policies,” states that almost “three quarters (72%) of participants surveyed towards the end of 2016 feel that risks to business travellers have increased.”

That being said, although a Buying Business Travel (BBT) 2018 article referenced a “survey of 2,000 business travellers around the world by Carlson Wagonlit Travel” showing that “Americans are the most happy to compromise safety for [hotel loyalty] rewards at 39 per cent…,” the majority of business travelers in the U.S. claim they “worry about the possibility of an intruder during their stay.”

Though these types of occurrences are highly unlikely, even the mere thought of them happening causes stress and anxiety amongst business travelers. According to a 2017 article in The New York Times, the rise in global terrorism has significantly instilled fear to even the “most hardened travelers” during this unsettling era. A recent Travel Agent Central report indicates in reference to research done by Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), that 50% of global business travelers are “most worried about subways and train stations” than airports.

With these stats in mind, the time has come for employers to take into consideration the risk factors entailed in business travel. Once managers start evaluating the chances of something going wrong in business travel, they can start planning wisely on ways to execute duty of care and corporate travel obligations.

From a minimal duty of care program consisting of making sure that employees send corporate managers their travel itineraries to a more comprehensive one that includes using a duty of care provider (ISOS, Ijet, TMC, and the like) who use mobile GPS tracking to create geo-fences to keep travelers from wandering into danger zones—there is a wide spectrum on the matter that is important for business managers to consider in order to understand their moral and legal obligations towards their employees. Understanding this wide spectrum and being transparent about it are only some of the ways that business managers can ensure efficient compliance.

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What are the risks and threats that business travelers face?

1. Health and Overall Wellness

We’ve all been there at one point or another—gotten sick on the job, found ourselves in the E.R. due to infection, a minor stroke, or even as a result of ongoing stress and fatigue. Alright, we might have gone a bit overboard with the outcomes, but the scale of extremity in regards to the health of business travelers can truly vary depending on the circumstances. These types of medical incidents present only some of the many that traveling employees succumb to and have to deal with on the job.

2. Automotive and Aircraft Collisions

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, “over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year” in the U.S., and road crashes are the “single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad.” We know—accidents happen, and it is unfortunate when they do, but implementing an effective business travel safety policy can help alleviate any claims against the company all while showing employees the support they deserve. Before you think you’re doomed for disaster, check out these flight safety stats and learn how flying is the safest form of travel in comparison to others.

3. Inevitable Profiling

Whether they’re wearing a buttoned-up shirt from Nordstrom, carrying a briefcase or a tech-savvy piece of luggage, let’s face it—business travelers have a tendency to stand out from the crowd. This apparent reality is especially the case when traveling overseas, making them an open target for “abuse, kidnapping and other threats.”

4. Natural Disasters

When mother nature weeps, she roars. From hurricanes, “tsunamis, blizzards, thunderstorms, tornadoes and other natural disasters,” business travelers in different parts of the world are faced with the risk of experiencing the unfortunate consequences of natural disasters. These threats vary depending on where you travel, but it is highly important to stay up to date with the forecast of your next destination and implement the necessary precautions.

5. Inability to Adapt to the Local Destination

It happens all too often—you reach your destination and are unfamiliar with the ways of the local environment. Whether navigating through unknown roads or dealing with the foreign medical systems in a language that is unlike the norm, this inability to accordingly adapt to the local destination also poses threats and risks of its own.

Where the risks and consequences are the greatest

According to Wex, a “Travel Leaders Group Survey of US-based travel agency owners, managers, and frontline agent specialists have been involved in a ‘Duty of Care’ situation involving a business traveler.” Yet, in reference to this survey, they list that the “top 5 circumstances where clients required assistance were… airline emergencies, civil unrest in international countries, snowstorms, terrorist incident” and hurricanes or natural disasters. In addition to these most common circumstances, another factor to consider is that there is a large number of women that have faced a serious incident while traveling. A Buying Business Travel article on female business travelers facing a higher risk than their male counterparts, claims that most women stated that their main concerns were to “travel to certain countries or cities, sexual harassment, and assault or kidnapping,” when referencing a survey done by “US corporate travel buyers” that was carried out by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

When discussing lodging for their female travelers, 63 percent claimed that they believed that the “location of hotels is a concern for women,” and 54 percent stated that the “type of lodging should also be considered.” Although all of these points are evident, only “less than half (44 percent) reported that their companies recommend female-friendly lodging.” These are all essential risk factors to consider when establishing a duty of care travel policy for your employees and are only among the few that are taken into consideration.

Stephen Barth, from the BTN 2017 report, also emphasizes that there are a number of misconceptions that revolve around the risks outlined above. From “‘pedestrian accidents, car accidents, incidents on subways and buses,’” Barth claims that ignoring risk management undermines the other “everyday risks that can be just as deadly.

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Duty of care enters the picture

As the socio-political arena becomes continuously compromising, there is an increasingly high demand and a necessity for companies to get organized when it comes to their duty of care travel policy. In this day and age, employers must be prepared to “respond to any incident at any time” in order to “protect a company’s reputation and employee morale,” as stated in the 2018 Lockton report on protecting employees in the context of business travel.

What it all means for employers

If there’s one main challenge that business managers face in the context of duty of care in corporate travel, it’s their sense of accountability towards their employees. According to a 2015 Travel Manager Survey by Phocuswright, only “47 percent of travel managers identified policy compliance as a top priority,” while “39 percent were concerned with managing traveler safety and upholding duty of care.”

Whether you’re a business manager looking to implement a new duty of care travel policy for your company or are simply wondering what you can do to give it the extra boost it needs, read below for tips on how to take it all to the next level.

Efficient Planning

Wondering what you can do to uphold your duty of care responsibility in corporate travel? Help manage and mitigate risks with new technology! Wex claims that companies have officially resorted to “updating their travel policies and implementing new technology to help monitor their employees’ locations and communicate with them in case of an emergency.” Prior to going on a hunt for the latest travel risk management technology, employers would be better prepared to make those kinds of decisions by first assessing the extent to which their employees are exposed to risk.

Christopherson Business Travel president Mike Cameron is cited in a 2017 BTN report stating that a “company whose employees travel mostly domestically might determine there is minimal benefit to implementing a sophisticated travel risk management program” and may very well be better off opting instead to self-insure. These are all crucial elements to address when formulating a duty of care travel policy.

Employee engagement

When it comes to establishing a duty of care travel policy, transparency and guidance are the name of the game. Making duty of care a part of the company culture is the first step towards ensuring legal compliance. This in-depth business travel safety policy is essential to corporate travel and even more so to employee engagement, as employees are expected to follow the policy.

In most cases, business travelers have no idea what their business travel safety policy entails. It is highly essential for employers to be transparent with their business travelers as to what their safety policy entails. If your workers are happy, your business is happy. Engaging and effectively implementing a duty of care travel policy ultimately leads to an overall positive experience for your employees—thereby increasing company loyalty and ultimately, employees’ performance towards fulfilling its objectives.

Focusing on the moral vs the legal

When it comes to their traveling employees, employers typically focus more on the legal ramifications pertaining to duty of care as opposed to the moral obligation. It is interesting to note that when “companies concentrate on the moral part, however, their actions tend to answer the legal questions, as well” (BTN, 2017). Those companies that are more proactive in their duty of care endeavors are the once that are focused on their moral obligation and “‘view it as an ethical corporate responsibility” (BTN, 2017).

These are only some of the many best practices that employers can take when addressing the notion of duty of care in corporate travel.

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How Shep plays a role in risk management

If you’re looking for an employee-centric booking tool that also covers risk management in corporate travel, Shep is your solution. This all-in-one platform collaborates with companies and provides them with data reporting, traveler expense tracking, and reports travel purchases so that you know what flights your team will be on and at which hotels they will be staying on every step of the way.

A study released by Expedia Affiliate Network titled “How TMCs are keeping up with the corporate traveler” found that 68% of business travelers book half or more of their travel outside approved tools. This ultimately diminishes the effectiveness of a duty of care program as it causes companies and corporate security to lose visibility of their people. Without knowing where your employees are or where they are going, you can’t prepare or support them.

By allowing travelers to book on consumer sites, Shep provides a critical component for policy compliance and duty of care that current corporate booking tools are missing. This gives travelers the freedom and convenience they want while simultaneously ensuring employers are able to manage risk and provide support for their travelers.

Concluding Remarks

If you thought that your duty of care travel policy obligations extends only to the confines of your employees, think again. Whether you’re a Millennial changing the nature of business travel, or a corporate manager formulating a business travel safety policy, you’d be surprised to discover that these obligations also cater to the “spouses and children of employees, as well as to board members, consultants, and contractors” (Lockton, 2018).

So, the next time you find yourself having to plan a business trip for your employees, be transparent about your duty of care travel policy and let your employees [and their loved ones] know you care!

]]>https://sheptravel.com/duty-of-care-traveling-employees/feed/05 Types of Business Travelershttps://sheptravel.com/5-types-of-business-travelers/
https://sheptravel.com/5-types-of-business-travelers/#respondFri, 22 Jun 2018 13:29:49 +0000http://sheptravel.wpengine.com/?p=584Are you the Nervous Traveler? The Tech Enthusiast? The seasoned and experienced Road Warrior? Shep put together a list of the most common types of business travelers. Which one are you?

Whether you’re indulging in a cappuccino and croissant at the airport lounge or scrambling to get onto the next flight, there are a number of different ways to go about your business travel. For the rookie business travelers in the crowd, the concept of traveling for business means more than just kicking back and relaxing—it encompasses a wide range of what if’s and how to’s that have yet to be addressed.

So, before you book your flight and pack your bags for the next destination, take a deep breath, be prepared—and enjoy the ride while you’re at it.

1. The Nervous Traveler

Three pairs of shoes, two bags of luggage, and a carry-on for a seven-day trip. Should I bring my journal? What about toiletries? I hope I’m not forgetting anything…This is the type of person that packs and repacks a million times, constantly checking flight statuses, securing seats, and confirming business meetings all while arriving two hours early to their flight destination. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there.

Surprisingly, the main thing affecting this person is organization. If you’re a Nervous Traveler, you should consider travel booking flights with long delays to allow for some downtime. Also, it’s just as important to not let anyone else’s travel arrangements influence yours so you don’t get anxious. From selecting which airline to fly on to sorting accommodations, business travel doesn’t have to be so complex.

Looking for ways to keep yourself organized on-the-go? Start using a to-do-list planner that allows you to set reminders for specific tasks and check everything off once completed. To top it all off, we also highly recommend bringing a portable phone charger for those unexpected moments you might encounter.

2. The Planner

Flights booked, bags packed, presentations ready, meetings scheduled, and snacks prepared for the in-flight trip. This is the personality type of a person that is bound to plan your entire business trip without skipping a beat.

Being The Planner has many perks and typically low amounts of stress. Spontaneity is not the name of the game for this breed of traveler. They find reassurance in knowing the exact plan of action at every stage of their trip.

This type of business traveler has to have things moving smoothly throughout the entire travel booking process. Typically, they feel more comfortable with their employer knowing where they are and what they are doing in the context of their corporate travel. If you fall into this business traveler category, then you’re set for sure! No hassle? No worry! You can be assured that everything is scheduled to go as planned.

And for The Planner that seeks a bit of thrill and touch of adventure, check out Roadtrippers for your ultimate road trip planning guide. Hitch a ride and camp under the stars, all while staying calm about your next steps.

3. The “Ready to Go at Any Minute” Traveler

In the midst of all the business traveling, you may come across situations that you only wish you were more prepared to handle. A spontaneous weekend trip to the mountains? No problem! The “Ready to Go at Any Minute” Traveler is the person that has an emergency bag with clothes prepared for every occasion.

This business traveler is ready to go at the spur of the moment. They are your best travel buddy and soon-to-be your lifelong friend—always equipped with the right essentials, and always up for adventure. The trip might not always be smooth for this type of traveler, but they are used to the grind and always have the most interesting stories to share.

If you ever find yourself becoming acquainted with these types of people, or are considered one yourself, make sure to check out DUFL—a service that takes away the worry of keeping your clothes clean and on you all the time. Learn from this type of traveler, and make your travel experience that much smoother by having an emergency bag on hand, a positive attitude, and the willingness to get up and go anywhere, at any given moment in time.

4. The Road Warrior

The old soul, a seasoned professional. The Road Warrior is the most frequent business traveler who averages fifteen trips per year and spends around three nights away on each trip. This traveler has been there, done that, and you will likely find them sippin’ on some vino in the VIP lounge, with a cigar in hand. They are a combination of The Planner and the “Ready to Go at Any Minute” traveler—always prepared for any occasion.

Accustomed to the ways of business travel, their main goal is to venture off to their next destination and come back in one piece. Having no time to waste, these travelers are on a mission to get to where exactly they need to be with no stops in between. They enjoy taking in the scenery when the opportunity arises, but are bound by their focus to get things done.

If you’re looking for ways to save time throughout your business travel, one great solution to consider is clearme, a service which helps arrange all of your preflight requirements. Pass through security just like the pros do—all with a click of a button.

5. The Tech Enthusiast

From conferences to tech meetups, summits and more, this tech-savvy business traveler amounts for the fifteen percent of all business travelers who are enthusiastic adopters of high tech. Always on top of the latest technological trends, The Tech Enthusiast is the millennial you will catch with a smart gadget in hand.

According to an article in Forbes entitled “How Millennials Are Redefining Business Travel,” millennial business travelers are eager to use technology to be more productive, stay on top of current events and trends, and keep in touch with their extensive social networks. They resort to technology and “staying at preferred hotels with updated tech means” in order to efficiently “stay in touch with co-workers, friends, and family with the tap of a finger.” The Tech Enthusiast is exactly this person—always equipped with the right gadgets to get them from where they are to where they want to be, personally and professionally.

These business traveler personality types are the first to get lost without a phone or laptop in hand and find comfort in knowing their devices are there to guide them throughout their trip.

Are you The Nervous Traveler or The Road Warrior? Do you find thrill in planning every stage of your trip or are you the “Ready to Go at Any Minute” type? The next time you book your business travel, take a moment to ponder what business traveler personality type you are and be assured that you’re not alone on this journey. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!